The RGEU has been revoked: what rules do construction designs follow now?
Since 1 June 2026, the General Regulation for Urban Buildings — the RGEU, in force since 1951 — is fully revoked. There is no new regulation to replace it immediately: there is a transition period in which the technical rules for designs are defined by the professional bodies. Here is what that means for anyone with a project under way or in preparation.
In short
- Full revocation on 1 June 2026 — determined by DL 10/2024, the «Simplex Urbanístico».
- Transitional period — the technical rules for preparing designs are now defined by the professional bodies (architects and engineers).
- Construction Code in preparation — with no announced date of entry into force.
- Special regulations remain — accessibility, energy performance and fire safety stay in force.
1. What the RGEU was — and why it lasted 75 years
Approved in 1951, the RGEU was for seven and a half decades the technical yardstick of construction in Portugal: minimum ceiling heights, room areas and dimensions, ventilation, rear yards, salubrity. Until recently, every housing design was drawn against that reference.
2. Why it was revoked
The regulation was technically dated — conceived for post-war construction, not for rehabilitation, energy efficiency or new ways of living. Decreto-Lei n.º 10/2024 determined its full revocation, effective 1 June 2026, as part of the preparation of a future Construction Code that will consolidate the scattered technical legislation.
The RGEU was not replaced by another regulation: it was replaced by a new interpreter. Until the Construction Code, it is the professional bodies that define the technical rules for designs.
Source: Decreto-Lei n.º 10/2024, of 8 January — Diário da República
The technical rules changed interpreter; constructive rigour remains the same.
1951
RGEU comes into force
JAN 2024
DL 10/2024 dictates the revocation
1 JUN 2026
full revocation · professional bodies’ rules
— —
Construction Code (no date)
Seventy-five years of a single yardstick — and a transitional period with a new interpreter.
3. The transitional period: the professional bodies’ rules
Pending the Construction Code, it falls to the competent professional bodies — the Ordem dos Arquitectos and the engineering bodies — to define the technical rules appropriate to the preparation of building designs. In practice: a design submitted after 1 June 2026 is prepared according to those technical references, not the RGEU.
4. What changes in a concrete project
The matters the RGEU used to fix — minimum room dimensions, ceiling heights, corridors, ventilation and lighting — are now governed by the professional bodies’ references. But note what has not changed: the special regulations remain fully in force, including accessibility (DL 163/2006), the energy performance of buildings and fire safety. The PDM and municipal regulations also continue to apply.
In practice, before submitting a design during this period it is worth closing three checks with the team: which of the professional bodies’ technical references is being followed (and recording it in the design statement), how the dimensional options the RGEU used to fix — ceiling heights, areas and ventilation — are justified, and whether the special regulations applicable to the case (accessibility, energy, fire) are integrated from the preliminary study rather than patched at the end.
“Seventy-five years designing with the same yardstick are over. The transitional period rewards those who design with judgement — and document the choices they make.”
Tiago R. Correia
Architect
5. And the applications submitted before June?
As a rule, applications are assessed under the rules in force at the date of their submission — and existing permits and approvals are not affected by the revocation. For borderline projects (submitted close to the date, or with changes under way), a case-by-case technical check is warranted before any redesign.
Want the full picture of permitting this year — deadlines, routes and DL 108/2026? It is in the 2026 building permitting guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does my approved design become invalid?
No. The revocation of the RGEU does not affect existing permits, approvals or authorisations — it takes effect going forward, in the preparation of new designs.
Are the professional bodies’ rules mandatory?
They are the technical reference applicable to the preparation of designs during the transitional period, as determined by DL 10/2024 — and it is on their basis that professionals sign the statements of responsibility.
When does the Construction Code arrive?
It is in preparation, with no announced date of entry into force. Until then, the transitional regime applies.
Do you have a project between two regimes?
We check the technical framework of your case — what applies, what has changed and what is worth adjusting before submitting. Also see our architectural design service.
-
No tags found
